


Blighted Courage

by fullfirefafar



Series: Failed Revelation [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 22:29:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6772819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullfirefafar/pseuds/fullfirefafar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For as long as Siegbert could remember, his parents were the light of his life, his pure models of wisdom, courage, and strength.</p><p>- A Failed Revelation AU where the kids came from the future because Kamui and Squad were only able to kill Anankos’ mask self and thinking that Anankos is truly dead and they won (when he’s not and they’re still doomed lmao) -</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blighted Courage

 For as long as Siegbert could remember, his parents were the light of his life, his pure models of wisdom, courage, and strength.  
  
 Never once did Siegbert doubt them, question them. He knew they loved him dearly. He knew they acknowledged his existence. And especially as a young, small child, especially when he always had a bad habit of clinging to either of his parents’ legs and hide behind them in embarrassment every time company or strangers would appear, Siegbert knew they would always, always see him as a brave little prince that he was, that he wished to be.  
  
 “Who’s my brave little prince?” Sakura cooed softly as she scrunched her nose to the lively baby. Flushed, red cheeks puffed like squishy balloons as Siegbert laughed. Delicate, tiny hands clapped clumsily at the sight of his mother’s silly pout.  
  
 The Queen of Nohr only giggled a gleeful giggle. “ _You’re_ my brave little prince!” She easily lifted the child up in the air, popping out another bubbly laugh from his small, pink lips. Left and right Sakura gently cradled, careful as to not drop her dear child and most probably shake the castle walls with her terrified screams.  
  
 “You’re the bravest prince in the whooole world!” Bringing the child into a princess-carry, she softly poked the tip of his nose with her own. “And Mommy loves her brave little prince soooo much!” She then pecked a delicate kiss to his forehead. Oh how her heart beamed to hear the rings of his laughter. Oh how her eyes sometimes felt wet to feel the reassuring warmth of his body.  
  
 “Oh? Does Mommy have another empty spot in her heart to love another brave prince?”  
  
 Sakura squeaked in brief shock at the feel of strong arms lovingly wrapped around her waist. “W-Well…” Glancing over her left shoulder, her smile softened to one of admiration. “There _is_ one spot open.” Her left eye closed once she felt his lips traced from its corner to the side of her face, Sakura breathed a ticklish giggle once she felt his fingers traced circles on her sides. “Though that one’s for a brave king…” Gently she bumped his nose and mouth with her left cheek. Heat had burned straight to the very tips of her ears, yet Sakura only slid backwards just so her back could bump against his chest.  
  
 “I wonder who that is…” Still engrossed in pampering his beloved queen with shameless love, Marx peeked at the baby in her arms. “Do you know the brave king in your Mother’s heart, Siegbert?” Softly he asked, pale pink lips then pressed a chaste kiss to her soft, warm cheek.  
  
 Siegbert, upon seeing his father’s face, only replied with an exuberant chirp and fat, tiny arms waving about.  
  
 His hug tightened around her waist and chin cosily rested on her left shoulder, Marx flashed a happy smirk. “I think so too, Son.”  
  
—  
  
 “For… For me…?”  
  
 Siegbert only gawked at his mother’s nod.  
  
 “Mhm…” Placing the beautiful object in his palms, Sakura gently curled his fingers close. “This hair ornament is very important to me. It was given to me by your Uncle Ryouma when I was a young princess.” Rosy cheeks flushed in red at the reminder of her big brother.  
  
 A tiny frown curled his mouth, Siegbert shook his head before gently, politely stretching the hair ornament back to her. “But if it’s so important to you, Mother, you shouldn’t be giving it to me.” True, the hairpin was beautiful from the very last detail. Despite the object being a few years older, Siegbert was truly stunned at the breath-taking shine of pink on each crystal petal. The red gem at the center was certainly mesmerizing as well, and the prince knew he could bask on the beauty every single day if time would let him.  
  
 But other than that, he also knew, the hair ornament would look ever more alluring if it was pinned into his mother’s long, pink hair.  
  
 “Siegbert…”  
  
 Her voice brought him back to reality. Caramel brown eyes stared at the beautiful mother before him. Before he could have a say in anything, Siegbert instead peeped a meek squeak at the feel of his hands being pressed against his chest.  
  
 “T-The reason that it’s important to me is _why_ I’m giving it to you.” A calm sigh slipped past her tongue; sometimes she wondered who he got his stubbornness from. Strawberry pink eyes focused on her growing son, Sakura gave his fingers a single, firm squeeze. “I-I…” Okay, Sakura thought, so maybe trying to express her emotions clearly would always be a tiny problem for her.  
  
 Though, judging by the bright shade on his face and upon remembering that Marx sometimes faced the similar feeling too, Sakura was just beyond grateful to know that she wasn’t alone in this.  
  
 “I w-want you to have something to remember me by…” Her voice was a meek whisper, yet still clear enough for him to hear. Head tipped slightly and gaze torn away from his face, Sakura nervously pressed her fingers against the back of his hands. “I want you to have something that’s passed down from me, something you have that’s close to your heart e-every time you see, every time you look at it…”  
  
 Siegbert only listened in stupor at his mother’s confession. Silence bit his tongue. Shock sparked in his eyes. While his mother had stooped down, it dawned on him momentarily to see that his growing height had almost reached her. A tiny tug of his lower lip stayed in place for a few ticking seconds. The beat of his heart reached an even rhythm, yet Siegbert took a few deep breaths as he felt the hair ornament shuffle slightly in his palm.  
  
 “I don’t need a memento to have you close to my heart, Mother.” Slowly he slipped his hands away from her grasp.  
  
 “You’re still here…” For some reason, sorrow etched a part of him when those words slurred out. “Father is still here…” Still, his mouth finally tugged a smile. “I’ll keep it, and this is will be one of my precious heirlooms.” Bringing the shiny object close to his chest, the young prince widened his smile. “But no matter what, even if I don’t have this, you and Father are always,” Again, his heart clenched uneasily, “always close to my heart.”  
  
—  
  
 “V-Valla…is destroyed…?”  
  
 Marx’s silence was the last thing Sakura wanted to hear.  
  
 “No…” Slowly she shook her head. “N-No…” Black pupils shrunk to tiny dots. Strawberry pink eyes shook terribly by the vibration of her eyeballs. Tears had filled the corners of each eye. Heat had burned straight to the very back of her brain.  
  
 “It… It c-can’t b-be-” Gaping mouth parted for air. “It… It c-a-an’t-” Trembling hands curled to weak fists. “B-But…B-Big Sister Hana…” Blurred focus thrown left and right, Sakura squeezed her eyes shut. “B-Big Sister Kamui and Big B-Brother T-Ta…Takumi are-”  
  
 “Dead.”  
  
 At that moment, Sakura swore, her entire world had shattered into pieces.  
  
 “What…?” Voice a wheezy gasp, she gawked at her tall husband. “Wha…Wh-What…?” Warm tears had trickled down her cheeks. Words no longer audible to either of them, Sakura shakily stretched her hands toward him. Slim fingers clutched the front of his tunic, though grip ever so weak and frail that in the end, her palms slid down to his stomach.  
  
 Marx’s silence – the sight of his own tears – was the last thing Sakura wanted to see.  
  
 “M-Mother…Father…?”  
  
 As their world crumbled right to their very feet, that one voice felt like a hand grasping for both of them.  
  
 Slowly they turned to the bearer of the voice, only to see their beloved son hiding and quivering behind their bedchamber door.  
  
—  
  
 Never in his life had Siegbert seen his parents fight.  
  
 “GO!” Loudly Marx screamed, one arm flung to the side while his right hand tightly gripped the Siegfried.  
  
  _BAM! BAM! BAM!_ Sounds from the other side of the doors echoed, drowning out any screams and shrieks or splatters or crunches that came from the fallen and decapitated warriors. The throne room itself was a ruined mess. Pillars shook and crumbled. Tiles cracked and lifted. The whole castle of Krakenburg started to fall apart, fearfully burying along the people and monsters within whether they liked it or not.  
  
 “NO!” Sakura yelled back, her grip on the silver bow tightened until both knuckles turned white. Although tears still stained her eyes and cheeks, never once did she budge or accept any requests he had thrown at her. “I’m staying and that’s final-”  
  
  _KABOOOOM!!!_  
  
 Her shoulders flinched in horror at the ear-splitting explosion. Still, the queen regained her composure, taking a few deep breaths and bringing the weapon close to her rapidly beating chest. Her body shook horribly. Her voice cracked and ached. It didn’t help that nausea rolled inside her throat; Sakura had gulped more times that she could count just so she wouldn’t throw up.  
  
 “Sakura _please-!_ ”  
  
 Eyes still shut, she took another deep, wavering breath. “No.” The strained sound of his voice hurt her terribly. “N-No…” Again she shook her head. “I won’t…I w-won’t leave you alone and make you f-fend for yourself…” Gods, just thinking about it tore her heart into two. “I c-can’t… I won’t…”  
  
 “You HAVE to!”  
  
 “I don’t WANT to!” Despite the piercing roars and bloodcurdling shrieks of the unknown, her voice reached an octave until it shook right into his eardrums. Quickly she looked at him. Neither glare nor scowl could frighten her; if anything, she felt hurt from seeing so. “I can’t l-leave you alone! I just _CAN’T-!_ ”  
  
 “I CAN’T L _OSE YOU TOO!!_ “  
  
 Despite the piercing roars and bloodcurdling shrieks of the unknown, those words alone felt like a shrill that shattered through her reality.  
  
 And if that wasn’t enough to shake her, the feel of her body being pulled to a tight hug and her weapon clashing to the ground threw her back to earth.  
  
 Silence hanged heavily in the throne room. The roars from the other side rumbled the ceiling and walls. The beats of their hearts madly thumped against their heavy, heaving chests.  
  
 “I –an’t…”  
  
 Finally, his voice rasped out into broken wheezes. While the tone still had its strain, he sounded choked and weak, puffing out inaudible sentences that neither he nor she understood.  
  
 “I…I can’t…” His face nuzzled into the spot between her neck and shoulder. “I can’t…l-lose you and Siegbert…” Right fingers loosely gripping Siegfried, Marx pulled her closer as he pressed his left arm on her back. “I-I’m not… I c-an’t…” In and out his breathing slipped; every breath that he took merely broke to uneven, cracked flows.  
  
 Sakura only gawked at nothing; shock and stupor finally kept her quiet. Her head angled slightly as her chin pressed against his right shoulder. Strawberry pink eyes blinked once, twice, thrice. Tears were no longer present, yet nerves of red marked each aching eyeball.  
  
 “I can’t lose both of you t-too…” His voice started to waver, started to shatter. “I’ve…I-I’ve lost enough of my f-family…” His hug started to loosen, stared to tighten. “So…please…”  
  
 Not once did she stutter a peep. Not once did she move a muscle.  
  
 “I love you…”  
  
 Warm tears trickled faster once she felt quivering lips brushing the side of her neck.  
  
 Before Marx could be lost in a whirlwind of sorrow and despair, he flinched to feel her hastily wiggling away from his embrace. “Sakura-?”  
  
 Words were hushed as her lips pressed against his.  
  
  _Pop._ “Y-You won’t lose me…”  
  
 Gods, never once could Marx forget how her voice soothed him to the very soul.  
  
 “You won’t lose me. You won’t lose Siegbert.” Soft palms rested against his cheeks, thumbs gingerly brushing away the tears that trickled down. Despite a screaming heart weighing heavily in her chest, Sakura twitched a small, reassuring smile to her king. “We can do this.” Eyes never tearing away from him, she slowly slid her hands down and reached for his wrists. “We can get through this…” Gently she gave each wrist a squeeze. “Together…”  
  
 His reply wasn’t immediate, for he just gawked at her like a lost, heartbroken child.  
  
 The pounding and screaming from the other side got louder and louder.  
  
 Fear had long took root in her heart. But instead of fear of the monstrosity that would soon loom before her, before them, she knew it was fear of something else; the fear of losing more of her family, of her losing her life, leaving behind the people she loved and held near and dear; that was the only thing that scared her the most.  
  
 That being said, Sakura knew that that fear was also the push she needed to be brave.  
  
 Finally she saw his smile. It was faint, still trembling with a few tears glistening beside it. Yet Sakura took it as it is; given their situation, any faint glimmer of hope is hope enough for her.  
  
 Returning his smile with her own, Sakura slowly tore her gaze away. Strawberry pink eyes woefully focused on the glorious throne across the hall, woefully focused on their beloved child who witnessed the whole ordeal while hiding behind said throne.  
  
 Marx only followed her direction, caramel brown eyes catching the presence of their son, broken heart echoing countless apologies for not being able to protect them completely.  
  
 The pounding and screaming from the other side formed faint cracks on the giant, wooden doors.  
  
—  
  
 The giant, time-travelling portal before him shined a bright shine.  
  
 But Siegbert didn’t notice; he didn’t care.  
  
 Caramel brown eyes stared at the hairpin in his palm. The metal felt cold in his touch. The glimmer felt blinding in his gaze.  
  
 Yet he didn’t look away.  
  
  _“Please…use this orb to transport to the forest deeprealms!”_ He remembered his mother’s plea. _“Hurry, Son! Use it now before they get you!”_ He remembered his father’s desperation.  
  
 He remembered denying and begging to stay just as how his mother had done to his father. He remembered pleading and crying until his voice alone drowned out the shrieks of the monsters. He remembered being hugged tight by both of them. He remembered hearing cries and promises that they would be okay, that he would be okay.  
  
 Alas, only the latter was fulfilled at the price of the former.  
  
 The hairpin shook in his grasp. Slowly Siegbert clenched into a tight fist, fingers curled around the object until it dug deep into the callous skin.  
  
 He felt weak.  
  
 How was he not? To not being able to protect the ones he loved. To not being able to save his parents whom he cherished as heroes and beacons of guidance. Siegbert felt weak and useless and pathetic.  
  
 He only wished he was strong enough to protect his parents.  
  
 Caramel brown eyes felt wet to the touch. Blinking once, Siegbert carefully pinned the hair ornament into the right side of his hair. Fingers brushed over the hard petals, then slid across the single gem that gleamed still so brilliantly.  
  
 Taking one deep breath, the young prince looked at the looming portal.  
  
—  
  
 “NO!”  
  
  _Slich!_  
  
 “Ra _argkh-!_ ” Once the sword sliced through the Faceless’s neck, it dropped dead down to the ground. Unfortunately, before one could count their victory, a few more approached and surrounded the frustrated prince.  
  
 Siegbert only ground his teeth behind tight lips. “Damn it…” Lowly he cursed, mouth then pulled to a ruthless scowl at the enemies before them. “I have to protect this place.” Left knuckle going white as he clutched the harness of his horse, he signalled the beast to trot backwards. “I have to get rid of these fiends. I must. I must!” Taking a deep breath and puffing out his chest, Siegbert raised his sword and aimed its tip at the nearing Faceless.  
  
 Sadly, a mere second was enough to ruin his concentration, and one simple misstep was all it took for the Faceless to avoid his attack and whip his horse aside with a single sway of its arm.  
  
 “Argh!” Loud hisses spat through clenched teeth at the feel of his butt roughly scraping across the hard soil. The weapon slipped from his grasp, sliding a few steps away from his reach. Though headaches now pounded the poor prince’s head, Siegbert knew he had to get up; he had to, he _must_ if he wished to survive-  
  
 “Raarrgh!”  
  
 The sound of a Faceless shrilled close by. And once Siegbert snapped his eyes open, oh how he felt his heart had stopped completely at the first sign of Death reaching its claws toward him.  
  
 Embracing for the inevitable, Siegbert instinctively covered his head with both arms while sadly, agonizingly bracing himself for the monster’s deadly clutch.  
  
 “I _won’t_ allow it!”  
  
  _SLAAAANG!!_  
  
 Amidst the chaos that unravelled in his ears, Siegbert remained frozen stiff at the sound of the familiar voice.  
  
 Quickly he dropped his arms down, only to then have his heart stopped once again at the presence of a royal paladin.  
  
 “A-Are you hurt anywhere?!”  
  
 Gods, everything was just happening all too fast around him.  
  
 He saw a petite, young priestess hop off the same horse of the paladin’s and rush to his direction. “Oh Gods, s-stay still so I can heal you!” He heard her voice quake and stammer as she knelt before him.  
  
 She looked young, quite younger than him, probably. She sounded young, yet still had that gentle tone he so dearly, irrevocably missed. She was shorter than him, that he most definitely confirmed even as she knelt to his height. Her hair was shorter too, with a few loose strands flowing by the howl of the wind.  
  
 It was then that he saw it; she had the exact hair ornament pinned to the left side of her head.  
  
 And seeing this, Siegbert hadn’t realized that tears had already flowed fast down his cheeks.  
  
 “-other…” Parted lips trembling terribly, the prince pushed forward and threw himself at the startled princess. “MOTH _ER!_ ” Tone cracked a strain at the overwhelming sorrow, Siegbert wrapped his arms around her neck. His weight and the sudden pounce completely caught her off guard, yet the prince pulled her closer so that she wouldn’t fall on her back.  
  
 “W-W-W-Wha-?!” Head rapidly growing dizzy from the sudden physical contact and the fact that he had just called her ‘Mother’, Sakura only gaped like a fool with jaw hanging so widely, flies could enter.  
  
 Even with Marx almost falling off his horse and gawked in perfect stupor at the sight of his wife being hugged and hearing a word he swore heard wrong, even with Sakura now a face full of beet red at the realization slowly sinking in and afterwards wheezing as if oxygen never existed, Siegbert only nuzzled into the top of her soft, pink strands that matched his own.  
  
 He didn’t care who saw him right now. Hell, he just couldn’t.  
  
 For as long as Siegbert could remember, his parents were the light of his life, his pure models of wisdom, courage, and strength.  
  
 For the first time since what felt like forever, a smile, so honest and blessed, finally graced his mouth.  
  
_**END**_

**Author's Note:**

> so basically. suffer time.


End file.
